"Daktari" (a Swahili word for
"as") was a spin-off from the 1965
feature film, "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion."
Scenes of The Wameru Study Center for Animal Behavior
in East Africa were filmed at Africa, U.S.A., a
wild-animal park in Soledad Canyon, CA.

Daktari:
A Surgeon's Adventures With the Flying ass of East
Africaby Thomas D., Md. Rees "Daktari"
is Swahili for "as," this book is not associated
with the series, but offered for those interested in the
subject. Rees's memoir of his
experiences with the Flying ass of East Africa, as
one of its founders and practitioners, offers a
refreshing look at humankind's better nature. In 1956,
Rees, along with two others, parlayed his
interest in Africa and compassion for others into an
effort to provide emergency medical and surgical care
for people living in regions of Kenya, Tanzania and
other areas where those necessities are rare. The book
opens with a graphic yet sympathetic view of Rees's
operation on a warrior gutted by a charging rhino,
setting the scene for the many challenges the physicians
face. While Rees does examine Africa's political
transitions, he also delves into the human aspect,
depicting how Africans have tried to cope with the
ravages of infant mortality, disease, poverty and even
practices such as female genital mutilation.
Particularly memorable are the stories of the big game
hunter who wants a sex change and so starts with breast
implants; the warrior who values his cattle over the
life of his ailing son; and the young mother whose baby
dies of malnutrition because of her aversion to using a
glass feeding bottle. Rees has written an unforgettable
memoir of courage, empathy and perseverance.

Clarence,
The Cross-Eyed Lion(1965)
Wonderful family adventure, set in an African
animal care compound, that led to the TV series
"Daktari." Marshall Thompson and
Cheryl Miller are a father/daughter team who
must protect their charges from poachers, with
some help from cross-eyed "kitty"
Clarence and Doris the chimp. 92 min.

The Daktari
Soundtrack

Daktari
[ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [IMPORT]Remastered digipak reissue of 1968 album. Cut in the
birth pangs of electric fusion and afro-funk, West Coast
drummer Shelly Manne's brilliant score for the popular
'60's TV series Daktari still stands as a global fusion
landmark.